"Physics- B.A. with Teaching of Science Concentrations" vs. a Regular Physics B.A.

elicue
Sun, 22 Feb 2015 05:55:39 +0000

Thank you all for your posts, I really appreciate you sharing your opinions and your advice. You do raise some really good points.

@bjkmom, that is precisely why I switched to Physics with a concentration on teaching. I don’t want to just know my stuff-- I also want to know how to teach it. Teaching certainly is difficult and takes skill too. The last thing I want to do is be a bad teacher, because I want my future students to enjoy learning. My university is big on physics and engineering, but as I’ve heard and noticed in a physics class I took last semester, many science professors here only have a degree on that subject. They did not take communication and teaching classes, which is what makes understanding the material so difficult.

@anhydrite, It’s a little late now to switch to a Bachelor of Science. So now I’m sticking with a Bachelor of Arts. Getting a solid physics degree would take another full year (and I have one year now, so in sum it would be two more years). So the question really is about what I’m doing in grad school- studying just physics or continuing in education. Unfortunately there is only one advisor for physics, but I could meet with my professor and discuss it with him. But you do make a good point about getting into a graduate physics program- I wouldn’t have the lab work or experience required. This is why I wasn’t too happy with my advisor’s recommendation- when I told him about my concern with the degree he told me it was basically the same as a physics degree, but there seems to be a huge gap between the two for reasons like these. It’s not the same.

I just want to feel that yes, even though I’m teaching, my degree is still PHYSICS. The concentration helps because it looks good for grad school and is kind of like a jumpstart so of course I’ll take it, but I do still want to be able to I don’t know, participate somehow on projects during my free time (like during summer breaks). I don’t want to not fit in with the rest of the physics majors if that makes sense. Because, what’s being a good teacher if you’re not getting exposure and doing fieldwork too? I know I’d love teaching, but I won’t feel complete if I’m not involved in/with other physics jobs too.